I don’t know if ghosts, werewolves and zombies are real. What I am sure of is that horror stories can be some of the most thrilling things to read. A good horror story can give you a delicious tingle of fear, when you are curled up in your favourite reading spot in a well lit room, maybe with a steaming mug of hot chocolate by your side and safe in the knowledge that there are no such things in the real world — or are there?
Some of my favourite horror stories were written in the 19th century and early 20th century, but they are still as fascinating as ever today.
A story that appears in many horror books is The Monkey’s Paw by WW Jacobs. This story explores whether we can ever really get what we wish for. An old couple gets a monkey’s paw that grants three wishes to its owner. They make a wish that they think will make them wealthy, but they lose their son in the process. They wish for him to come back, but they realise that he may be coming back in a form they would not want to see. What should they do with their last wish?
Another striking story is Lost Hearts by MR James. In this story, a young orphan goes to live with an older cousin who seems kind. But he soon finds out that his cousin often adopts little orphans who go missing afterwards. What happens to them? And who are those strange children that he sometimes thinks he can see? This story builds up to a very chilling end.
Vampires are the rage in movies, and vampire stories have been around for a long time. One of my favourite vampire stories is The Room in the Tower by EF Benson. For many years, a man has the same dream again and again — that he is staying at a friend’s house. When the friend’s mother tells him that he is going to be given the room in the tower, he has a feeling of great fear. Finally, after many years, he goes to visit a friend and is put in the tower room. He soon realises that some kind of vampire has been pulling him into a terrible trap all these years.
Some horror stories may be too scary, or written in language that is too complex for you. If you are interested in reading something on the scary side, look for a good collection of scary stories in the young readers’ section of your local bookstore — Puffin has some great choices, Indian and foreign. When you are a little more used to these kinds of stories, try a collection of classic ghost stories — Penguin Classics and Wordsworth are good publishers to look for. Who knows, maybe you’ll get inspired to write your own scary stories one day!